DEAR AFI: I am 53 years old and I have been suffering terribly from
hot flashes, at least five times a day if not more. My best friend tells
me that the reason I'm burning up is the fact that I smoke about a
pack a day. Do cigarettes cause hot flashes?

--C.M.

AFI: Smokers do tend to report more hot flashes. Why this happens
is not entirely clear. Perhaps it has something to do with the chemicals
in cigarettes interfering with estrogen production and action in the
body. As well some smokers are very thin and this may also add to their
problems with hot flashes. Fat cells produce estrogens and thus women
who are thinner often report more hot flashes. You are probably well
aware of all the negative effects of smoking cigarettes. As you age, it
becomes even more important that you try to kick your cigarette habit.
You are at the age where heart disease becomes more of an issue for
women, and smoking is certainly a major contributor to that problem. We
encourage you to seriously try to quit smoking (or at least cut down),
and you will likely find that your hot flashes improve as will many
other things. You may have tried to quit in the past; take heart that it
often takes many tries to succeed. The Winnipeg Women's Health Clinic has a journal, Catching Our Breath, especially written for women
who are trying to reduce or stop smoking (email: afi@afriendindeed.ca).
It is designed to help you look at the specific issues that women have
with respect to smoking. (Please see AFI, Jan/Feb 2004 Cigarettes: A
woman's best friend? for a more extensive discussion of these
issues and list of resources.)